Simulated projector and target



June 8, 1954 E. l.. DALE 2,680,620

` SIMULATED PROJECTOR AND TARGET Filed sept. 1, 195o .Y 5 Sheets-Sheet l HTW-W WM/rae 726:2 f [um m45,

E. L. DALE SIMULATED PROJECTOR AND TARGET June 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. l, 1950 Amr/w@ [Ma/M. @4.4;

E. L. DALE SIMULATED PROJECTOR AND TARGET June 8, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. l, 1950 Patented June 8, 1954 UNITED 'STATES PATENT F F ICE 2,680,620 SIMULATED PROLIECTOR AND TARGET vldonKLQDale, Long Beach, Calif. Application' September 1, 1950', Serial No. 182,853

5- Claims. l r

This invention relates to an improved target game and ccnsistsof improvements ofl my'Patent No. 2,510,382, dated' June- 6, 1950, for Practice Shooting Apparatus, and'consists primarilyof a simulated gun which can be aimed' at a moving target in such a manner as to acquaint the user with the fundamentalrequirements of shooting.

An object of my invention isto provide a novel target game or practice-shooting device in'which the operator observes the moving target vin a rn'irron'andv is required to lead the moving'object with the gun in orderto record a hit.

Another object of my inventionis to providea novellimproved target game in which the moving target and a revolving drum 'are geared together and driven from the same source of power, the movable gun being provided' with a contact nger which must seek and engage a contact on the revolving drum to record a hit on the moving object.

A feature of my invention is to provide in a target game a revolving drum with contacts la1'- rangedin a tortuousv path,l these contacts being engaged by the user when the target gunismoved, andwhen these 'contacts are'engaged arhit is recorded'cnthe target.

i Other. objects, advantagesand features. of. inventicnl may-appear from' the. accompanying drawing, the subj'oinedr detailed `description, and' thel appended claims.

`A In the drawing:

v'Figure 1'--fis f a perspective view of an improved target game 'embodying'.:my invention.

'Figure 2 isla top` plan view'of thesama'with parts broken away to showinterior construction.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view` of( the 'hit determining electrical circuit.

Figure 4 isa side View as observed'f-rom line 4-4 of. Figure 3.

Figure 5 is avertical sectional view of a simulated pistol.

Figure 6 is a wiring diagramof the solenoid vibrator.

Figure '7 is a perspective viewv ofa simulated.

2 The player stands back of the simulatedgun which gun is pivotally mounted on the post t, which post in turn is journalled in the housing l.

While I have shown the object 2 as being a miniature airplane, it is obvious that I may also employ a moving picture reel of some target, such as an airplane, and drive this reel through the well known eiectric. motor. The object 2 is mounted on a contact finger "i, which finger is secured to the shaft 3. It will be evident that the object 2 thus movesin a horizontal circular path, this path being observable in the mirror t.

A contact disk S, formed of insulating material, surrounds the shaft 3 and is stationary. This disk is provided With a plurality. of spaced contacts 9, all of these contacts project throughthe disk and are connected to a contact ring I il which s positioned parallel tothe disk 8 and on the side opposite the finger l. The finger. 'l engages the top of each of these contacts 9 successively as this finger rotates. All of this willA be evident from the drawing.

A drum II also formedof insulating material, is mounted on a shaft I2, journalled in the housing I. The shaft I2 in turn. is rotated by the motor I3, ythrough the medium of the belt it, or the like, and a second belt or chain I5 extends froma pulley I6 on the shaft I2 to a pulley Il on the shaft 3. Thus, the shafts 3 and I2 are geared together and, consequently, the target 2 and the drum I I will rotate synchronously and ata definite gear ratio,.each to the other. TheA drum. I'I is provided with a plurality'of contacts I8 on its outer surface, and these contacts form a tortuous path on the drum, substantially as shown.

As previously stated,` a gun 5 is movable on its trunnion 6, and a nger i9 projects from this trunnion and may engage any one of the contacts I8. The gun 5, however, must be adjusted so that the finger I9 seeks out and engages oneV of the contacts I8, and thev gunv may be sov arranged that it must be pointed to lead thetarget in order to instruct the user as to the proper use of a gun'on a moving target;

-The electrical circuit between the disk 8 and the drumI Iis, as follows:

The wire 2U extends from the finger` I9 to a battery 2'! and thence to the nger 1.. The contact. ring Il) has a wire lead 22 extending therefrom, thenceto a suitable signal: 23, and then to a contactbrush 24', which is positioned on the in sidefof:v the ldrum rI'I and can engageany oneof the contacts I8, as they move past this brush.

In order to record a hit, it is necessary that the nger I9 be positioned on the proper contact i8, as this contact moves past the brush 2t, thus completing the circuit through the contacts 9, the contact ring I0, and the leads and 22.

In Figures 5 to 8, inclusive, I have shown means of simulating a recoil of the target gun.

In Figures 5 and 6, the simulated pistol 25 is mounted on a universal joint 28 in the housing i. The post 21 extends downwardly from the universal joint and is engaged by the link 2S extending from the core 29 of the solenoid 30. The electrical current to the solenoid 30 is controlled by the trigger switch 3i, which closes the contact 32, thus energizing the solenoid 30 and causing the core 23 to jerk the pistol 25 to simulate recoil.

In Figures '7 and 8, the simulated machine gun 33 is mounted on a post 34, to which a horizontal rack 35 is secured. A motor 36 drives a mutilated gear 31, which engages the rack 35. A spring 3S moves the rack 35 in one direction when not engaged by the teeth of the mutilated gear Si. Thus, the gear 3l moves the rack B in one direction and the spring 38 moves it in the opposite direction. It causes a continuous vibratory motion to be imparted to the machine gun 33, thus simulating recoil.

In operation, when the motor i3 is started, it will drive the shaft l2 with its attached drum i i. The belt i5 will also drive the shaft 3, which causes the target 2 to revolve around the shaft 3. The image of the revolving target is now observed in the mirror 4, and the gun S is aimed at this image, and the operator manipulates the gun 5 around the shaft S, attempting to cause the finger I9 to follow the tortuous path of the contact I8. The finger l, as it rotates with the Shaft 3, engage the contacts S and these contacts are successively electrically connected to the contacts I8, through the brush 2l. Thus, if the finger i9 engages the correct contact i8 while the finger 'l engages the contacts 9, then, a complete electrical circuit is established and a hit is recorded or indicated in a suitable manner.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An improved target game comprising a housing, a, rst shaft journalled in said housing, a contact nger on the shaft and rotatable therewith, a contact disk adjacent the shaft and engageable by said finger, said finger continuously sweeping the contacter, a simulated gun, means i movably mounting said gun, a drum adjacent the gun, contacts on said drum, a contact finger on the gun selectively engageable with the contacts on said drum, power means driving said drum and drive means connecting said drum and said rst shaft whereby the drum and shaft are synchronously rotated, the contacts of said disk and drum being connected in an electrical circuit and signal means in said electrical circuit.

2. An improved target game comprising a housing, a rst shaft journalled in said housing, a contact nger on the shaft and rotatable therewith, a contact disk adjacent the shaft and engageable by said finger, said linger continuously sweeping the contactor, a simulated gun, means movably mounting said gun, a drum adjacent the gun, contacts on said drum, a contact nger on the gun selectively engageable with the contacts on said drum, power means driving said drum and drive means connecting said drum and 7 said rst shaft whereby the drum and shaft are synchronously rotated, the contacts of said disk and drum being connected in an electrical circuit and signal means in said electrical circuit, the electrical contacts on said drum being arranged in a tortuous path.

3. An improved target game comprising a housing, a shaft journalled in the housing, an object on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a mirror mounted on the housing, the object being observable in said mirror, a simulated gun mounted on the housing and operable by the player, a disk mounted adjacent said shaft, spaced contacts on the disk, a nger rotatable with the shaft and engaging the contacts on the disk, a drum, means rotatably mounting said drum in the housing, drive means extending to said drum to rotate the same, a second drive means extending from said drum to the rst named shaft to simultaneously rotate the drum and the shaft, contacts on said drum, a contact finger on the gun, said last named contact finger sweeping the contacts on the drum, said contacts on the disk and on the drum being connected in an electrical circuit, and signal means in said electrical circuit.

4. An improved target game comprising a heusu ing, a shaft journalled in the housing, an object on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a mirror mounted on the housing, the object being observable in said mirror, a simulated gun mounted on the housing and operable by the player, a disk mounted adjacent said shaft, spaced contacts on the disk, a finger rotatable with the shaft and engaging the contacts on the disk, a drum, means rotatably mounting said drum in the housing, drive means extending to said drum to rotate the same, a second drive means extending from said drum to the first named shaft to simultaneously rotate the drum and the shaft, contacts on said drum, a contact finger on the gun, said last named Contact finger sweeping the contacts on the drum, said contacts on the disk and on the drum being connected in an electrical circuit, and signal means in said electrical circuit, said contacts on the drum being arranged in a tortuous path.

5. An improved target game comprising a housing, a shaft journalled in the housing, an object mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith, a mirror on the housing, the image of said object being observable in the mirror, a simulated gun movably mounted on the housing and operable by the player, a second shaft journalled in the housing, a drum mounted on the second shaft. an electric motor, drive means extending from the motor to the second shaft, drive means extending frorn the second shaft to the first shaft whereby both of said shafts are synchronously rotated, a contact disk mounted adjacent the first named shaft, spaced contacts on said disk, spaced contacts on the periphery of said drum, a contact finger on the first named shaft, sweeping the contacts on said disk, a second contact finger on said gun sweeping the contacts on the drum, the contacts on said disk and on said drum being connected in an electrical circuit, and signal means in said electrical circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,269,410 New Jan. 6, i942 2,510,382 Dale June 6, 1950 2,520,281 Heide Aug. 29, 1950 2,520,964 Ruiz Sept. 5, 1950 

